书城外语英语PARTY——橄榄之国·西班牙
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第25章 旅行宝典Travel Guide(3)

Souvenirs are on offer within many hotels/resorts as well as scattered throughout the local tourist spots, sightseeing venues and the like. These vary from cheap junk type items to some exquisitely crafted items well worth purchasing. Again, shop around if you have time.

Textiles and Leather wear/Accessories Textiles from Spain are internationally famous and there are mills throughout the region. Spanish leather goods are prized throughout the world, offering highfashion originals at reasonable prices. Of note are the suedesuede n.小山羊皮 coats and jackets. In general, all leather goods, particularly those from Andalucía, combine excellent craftsmanship with highquality design.

Wine Spain is essentially a winedrinking country, with sherry being one of the principal export products. The vineyards themselves generally have the best rates, but shops and cellars often have specials on vintagesvintage n.制造年期, 葡萄收获期 adj.洒的, 最佳的, 过时的 v.收葡萄 and there,s always the duty free shops on arrival/departure that generally offer a reasonable selection too.

Religion in Spain

西班牙宗教

西班牙94%的居民信奉天主教。天主教对西班牙人的生活影响很大。此外还有3万新教徒和少数洗礼教派的信徒。

天主教是基督宗教的一个分支。虽然最接近原文的名称是“公教会”,但是自明朝时就沿用的名称“天主教”(因其将不使用上帝、神等词汇称呼唯一的主,而仅使用天主一词)却已成了正式的中文代名词。基督教教派的所有公教会之中,罗马公教会 (罗马天主教会)的会众最为庞大,全世界人数有11亿,因此“公教会”(天主教)一词往往指的是与罗马教宗共融的天主教会。目前天主教会也是所有基督宗教的教会里头最为庞大的教会。天主教中有下列修会,分别是方济各会、多明我会、本笃会、奥斯定会和克吕尼修会。

天主教的信仰生活的核心是七项圣礼/圣事,即洗礼、坚振、告解/和好、圣体、婚配、圣秩/圣职授职礼、终傅/病人傅油。(基督新教则仅保留洗礼和圣体圣血作为正式的圣礼)在这其中,弥撒是最重要的。 日常生活中,诵经也是天主教信徒经常进行的活动。这些经文大都是一些经过编排好的重要经文的连祷,其中比较着名的是《玫瑰经》。

天主教的节日很多,在基督宗教三大派别中仅少于东正教。其中比较重要的有圣诞节、复活节、圣神降临节、圣母升天节等。

Roman Catholicism is, by far, the most popular religion in the country, with four in five Spaniards (80%) selfidentifying as Catholics. The next group (one in eight, or 12%) is represented by atheists or agnostics. Minority religions account for one in seventy (1.4%) of all Spaniards.

It is important to note, however, that many Spaniards identify themselves as Catholics even though they are not very religious at all. According to recent surveys (New York Times, April 19, 2005) only around 18 percent of Spaniards regularly attend mass. Of those under 30, only about 14 percent attend.

Further evidence of the secular nature of modern Spain can be seen in the widespreadwidespread adj.分布广泛的, 普遍的 support for the legalisation of marriage for homosexualshomosexual adj.同性恋的 n.同性恋-over 70% of Spaniards support gay marriage according to a 2004 study by the Centre of Sociological Investigations. Indeed, in June 2005 a bill was passed by 187 votes to 147 to allow gay marriage, making Spain the third country in the European Union to allow samesex couples the same rights as heterosexualheterosexual adj.异性的, 异性爱的 n.异性恋的人 ones. Proposed changes to the divorce laws to make the process quicker and to eliminate the need for a guiltyguilty party 有罪一方,当事人 party are also popular. In many ways modern Spain can be described as a secular country with a strong Catholic tradition.

According to membership, the second religion of Spain is the organization of the Jehovah,s Witnesses with 103,784 active publishers; there are also many Protestant denominationsdenomination n.命名, all of them with less than 50,000 members, and about 20,000 Mormons. Evangelism has been better received among Gypsies than among the general population; pastors have integrated flamenco music in their liturgy. Taken together, all selfdescribed “Evangelicals” slightly surpass Jehovah,s Witnesses in number.

The recent waves of immigration have led to an increasing number of Muslims, who have about 800,000 members. Muslims were forcibly converted in 1492 and then expelled in the 16th century.

Since the expulsionexpulsion n.逐出, 开除 of the Sephardim in 1492, Judaism was practically nonexistent until the 19th century, when Jews were again permitted to enter the country. Currently there are around 14,000 Jews in Spain, all arrivals in the past century. There are also many Spaniards (in Spain and abroad) who claim Jewish ancestryancestry n.祖先(集合称), 家系, 血统 to the Conversos, and still practice certain customs. Spain is believed to have been about 8 percent Jewish on the eve of the Spanish Inquisition. See History of the Jews in Spain.

Over the past thirty years, Spain has become a more secularised society. The number of believers has decreased significantly and for those who believe the degree of accordance and practice to their church is quite diverse.

According to the latest official poll (CIS, 2002), 80% of Spaniards selfidentify as Catholic, 12% as nonbeliever, and 1% as other (the remaining 7% declined to state). Of the 1.4% identifying as other, 29% identified as Evangelical Christian, 26% as Jehovah,s Witnesses and 35% as Muslim (the rest either mentioned smaller religions or declined to state). According to the same poll, 73% believe in God, 14% don,t and 12% are unsure (1% declined to state). Additionally, according to this poll, only 41% believe in Heaven. 24% of the Spaniards think that the Bible is just a fable. Only 25% of Catholics go to church at least once a week.

Sports & Activities in Spain

西班牙休闲、运动

在西班牙,体育运动是一种表达许多种感觉、兴趣、野心的方法。据1990年统计,西班牙15岁到60岁人口总数的35%都参与体育运动,比1968年体育人口数量有了极大的增加。这种新气候反映了体育运动在社会中的巨大渗透力。人们对参加体育活动有着很高的评价。

在最受欢迎的体育运动中,人们可以发现其种类变化很多,也反映了人们不同的品味(见下表)。他们的范围从被称作传统体育项目的跳舞、慢跑等到那些曾经被某些阶层高度限制的运动,如网球、滑雪等。这些不同种类的体育运动又一次说明了西班牙体育运动的深入人心。

在西班牙,足球是人们最喜爱的体育运动,每一城镇和乡村都有本地的足球队,国家级则有着名的俱乐部。西班牙的足球甲乙级联赛从每年8月到第二年的5月,这时全国各地的体育场内观众爆满。西班牙是欧洲现代足球运动中占主要地位的国家之一。如同西班牙斗牛的举世闻名,西班牙足球也征服了越来越多球迷的心。

西班牙是世界上着名的“斗牛王国”。有人说:在西班牙没有不斗牛的节日,也没有不爱看斗牛的地区。近年来每年有 5000万外国游客进入西班牙,而他们之中的大多数是奔着看斗牛而来的。

西班牙的斗牛历史悠久,13世纪时便有了斗牛节。现在,西班牙共有大小斗牛场400多个,最大的斗牛场可容纳2万人。每年斗牛次数达5000场以上。

斗牛所用之牛是专门喂养的,放养于农村,尽可能要它们少见人。放养时间是4~6年。

斗牛要举行入场式。首先奏乐乐曲雄壮奔放,乐曲声中,斗牛士入场。他们身穿绣花紧身衣,紧腿裤,头戴三角帽。斗牛士一般20来名,他们的队伍由两名骑士率领绕场一周,向观众致意。这之后由主持宣布斗牛开始。

一场斗牛表演要有6头公牛出场,它们的体重在370~500公斤之间。每斗一头牛大约耗时20分钟。每头牛的名字、年龄和体重都由主持向观众进行介绍。

斗牛士更少不了要介绍给观众。每当介绍到有名气的斗牛士时,全场会报以雷鸣般的掌声。

一个斗牛士水平的高低,不但要看他挑逗公牛的技术,而且要看他是否有一剑杀死公牛的本领。凡是能一剑结果公牛性命的,主持会当众宣布褒奖斗牛士牛耳一只;如果他挑逗动作一直出色,还奖给他牛尾一条。